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' Feb. 5 1924. i 1,482,831 w; ACKERMAN METHOD OF PRODUCING STAGE EFFECTSFiled June is, 192; 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 W: a."- W

Feb. 5 1924.

1,482,831 w. L.'ACKERMAN METHOD OF PRODUCING STAGE EFFECTS vmm: June 13,1921 '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1/294 i t g =n= a? as wr f Patented Feb. 5, 1924.

UNITED STATES HALTER L. ACKEE-IJIAN, OF HOLLYWOOD,

1,482,831 PATENT OFFICE.

CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO YALE CORPORATION, OF LOS ANGELES,CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALI- FORNIA.

METHOD OF PEODUCING STAGE EFFECTS.

Application filed June 13, 1921. Serial No. 477,132.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, WALTER L. Aormn- MAN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Hollywood, Los Angeles, in the county of LosAngelies and State of. Cali fornia, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Methods of Producing Stage Effects, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to methods of pro" clucing stage effects, andmore especially to the production of an illusory effect.

An object of the invention is to provide two dilferent appearances withthe same object or objects, according as said object or objects areilluminated from the front or the background therefor is illuminatedfrom a position between the object 'and the baclc ground. 7 i

Another object is to so illuminate an object or objects, while makingmotion pictures thereof, that the object or objects will be seen insilhouette at one time and in full illumination at another time and thechange from silhouette to full illumination gradually efiected so as togive the appearance to the spectator of a gradual transition of acertain object or objects into an entirely different object. I

The accompanying drawings illustrate an apparatus by which the methodmay be performed. 7

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a set as it appears illuminated onlyfrom the rear so as to silhouette the upper outline of the variousobjects upon the illuminated back ground.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the set as it appearswhen illuminated only from the front.

Figure3 is a broken sectional elevation on the line indicated by w wFigure 2.

Figure 1 is a plan view of Figure 2, with the stage walls in section.

Figures 5. and 6 are sectional elevations of two dilterent objects,respectively, in'Figures 1 to 4, inclusive.

In the instance shown'in the drawings, a stage is represented at landthe interior of the stage is provided with a set comprising variousobjects: for example, a piano 2, an ottoman 3,a"table 4, an ash tray 5on the table, a piano lamp 6, chairs 7, 8, a settle 9 and a bookcase 10.It is understood that the objects just enumerated may be real orimitation, and also that the entire set may be nothing more thanapicture, the upper outline of which corresponds to the outline It is'understoodthat one or more objects may be used, depending upon theresults to be produced. The objects .shown, in this instance, areinanimate, but

it is understood that one or more of them may be animate, for example, alivingperson or persons. 7

It is essential, where actual objects, such, for example, as chairs andtables, are employed, that a certain part or parts thereof be blankedout as indicated at 11 for the table 4, at 12 for the chair 8 and at 13for the settle 9, so as to prevent light from passing from the rearbeneath the table top and beneath the seats of the chair 8 and settle 9.

The stage 1 is provided with a rear wall or background 14 which extendsabove the level of the objects in the set so that portionsof the outlineof said objects can be seen against the background 14:. Between thevarious objects and the background 14 are arranged sources of'light 15which may be electric lamps, as shown, and the lamps are regulated bymeans well known in the art of stage lighting for gradually increasingand decreasing the intensity of the illumination of the background. Infront of the various objects, at the foreground of the stage, arearranged sources of light 16 which are also electric lamps controlled sothat the illumination from the front may be gradually increased ordecreased in intensity. In thestage 1 is indicated a motion picturecamera 17.

The method is performed withthe above described apparatus as follows:Full illumination of the'background from the rear of the set is effectedby the light sources 15 so as to produce the silhouette effect shown inFigure l of the drawings. In this silhouette can be seen the upperportion of the outline of the chair 12, settle 13, table 4:, ash tray 5,smoke 18 arising from the ash tray, bookcase 10,books 19 on thebookcase, and the lamp 6. These partial outlines as thus seen insilhouette against the back ground 14-, in this particular instance,merge and give the appearance of a portion of the skyline of a city, theash tray 5 giving the appearance of a chimney and the smoke 18 smokedischarging from the chimney. In this instance, the settle 9 is providedwith openings 20 which in the silhouette effect of Figure 1 appear asilluminated windows. T he bookcase 10, in this instance, is providedwith vertical slots 21 which are adapted to register on the motionpicture with the fringe 22 of the lamp to give the appearance of windowsin the silhouette. The light from the sources passes through the openings and also through the slots 21.

The illumination of the back round being elfectedas above described,*ith the lights 16 preferably extinguished, the camera 17 will beoperated in the usual. manner to produce a series of exposures on themotion picture film so as to'produce a series of negatives showing thesilhouette as in Figure 1. lVhile the camera is being operated, theillumination of the background will be diminished in intensity andilluminationwill be effected in front of the objects b the light sources16. These sources 16 will preferably be operated to gradually increasethe intensity of the illumination at the same time that the intensity ofthe background illumination is being diminished, so that the silhouetteeffect gradually disappears and the actual objects or theirrepresentations or images come more clearly into view under thestrengthening illumination from the front. After the illumination fromthe front has reached a greater degree of intensity than that of thebackground, the details of the objects will be registered clearly enoughon the negative film to produce, when the picture is subsequentlyprojected on the theater screen, the appearance of said objects as seenin Figure 2. The different appearances of the set during the time ofgradual transition of the illumina tion from the rear of the objects tothe front thereof are not illustrated in the drawings, but only theappearances as at full rear illumination and full front illuinination.

The frames thus produced by operation of the camera can be used withgood effect for the opening [)Oi'lilOli, o f a motion picture, act, orscene, either with or withi'nit a title or sub-title, and it is clearthat by reversing the operation hereinbefore described so as togradually decrease the front illumination and gradually increase thebackground illumination, while operating the camera, an act or. scenemay be ended by reversal of the appearance of the set. That is to say,the details of the objects as seen in Figure 2 willbe caused togradually disappear and only portions of the outline thereof remain toform the silhouette shown in Figure 1.

The set hereinbefore described is merely typical of the various efiectsthat may be produced by this new method, and it will be understood thatthe description of the method in conjunction with the particular setillustrated is only for the purpose of making clear how the varioussteps of the method are performed.

As an example of animate objects which may be employed to good advantagein performing the method, a camel may be selected, the background beingilluminated and the camel being unilluminated for time so that the humpof the camel will appear in silhouette as a distant mountain; When theillumination from the front overbalances the rear illumination, thecamel will no longer appear as a mountain but in its true character.

It will be clear from the foregoing that in this method an object isilluminated from a position in front thereof, and the background forsaid object from a position between the object and the background, andthat there is effected a gradual change in the point of illumination ofthe object by gradually increasing the intensity of one illumination anddecreasing the intensity of the other illumination while the camera isbeing operated to make a series of exposures, whereby there is produceda series of frames which, when projected on the exhibiting screen, willgive the illusory effect of the transition of a silhouette of a familiarobject or objects into other familiar objects of an entirely differentcharacter or, vice versa, the transition of familiar objects into asilhouette of a different familiar object or objects.

It is to be understood that, in this specification, the term objectdefines either an object or its image, that is to say, the actuality, amere imitation or a photograph or other picture of the actual object orimitation.

It is readily seen that the invention is also useful on the legitimatestage, so-called, and that when so used the audience will view the setitself and not motion pictures there; of, in whiclrevent the operationof making exposures on a film will be dispensed with.

,I claim:

1. In the method of making motion pictures, the combination of stepsconsisting in illuminating an object from the rear with graduallydecreasing intensity, at the same time illuminating the object from thefront with gradually increasing intensity, and making a series ofexposures of the object while the change in illumination is beingeffected.

2. In the method of making motion pictures, the combination of stepsconsisting in illuminating an object from a position infront thereof anda background from a position between the object and the background, andgradually increasing the intensity of one illumination and decreasingthe intensity of the other illumination.

3. In the method of producing stage effects, the combination of stepsconsisting in illuminating mainly from the rear an ob ject whosesilhouette corresponds to that of another object of an entirelydifferent appearance when illuminated from the front, illuminating saidfirst object from'the front with gradually increasing intensity todisclose its true character, and making a series of motion picturenegative exposures of the object while the change in illumination isbeing effected.

' 4. In the method of producing stage effects, the combination of stepsconsisting in illuminating mainly from the rear a three dimensionalobject whose silhouette corresponds to that of another three dimensionalobject of an entirely different appearance fects, the combination ofsteps consisting in illuminating mainly from the rear an 010- ject whosesilhouette corresponds to that of another object of an entireldifi'erent appearance when illuminated rom the front, and illuminatingsaid first object from the front with gradually increasing intensity todisclose its true character.

Signed at Los Angeles, California, this 28th day of May, 1921.

WALTER L. AOKERM AN'. Witnesses: r

GEORGE H. HILEs, L. BELLE WEAVER.

